Process for marking felt and the resultant product



Cross f 106. COMPOSITIONS,

Reference W. R. MENSHON PROCESS FOR MARKING FELT AND THE RESULTANTPRODUCT Filed July 24, 1931 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 f T 'oFFics raocnssFoa MARKING FELT AND 'rmi nEsnLrANr raonucr u Y .william n. Menshon,ansehe Park, N. r., as-

signor to The Barrett Company, New York, Y N. Y., a corporation of NewJersey Application July 24, 1931. Serial No. 552,901

\ i claims. v(ci. 9147.9)

This invention relates to marking designs. guide lines, trade-marks, orother indicia upon librous material, such as rooting felt. Moreparticularly, the invention is directed to the applil cation of ruledguide lines or other indicia to rooting and other flbrous material; tothe resultant fibrous material; and to apparatus for applying theindicia to felt or other ysheet materials. i

l0 One object of the present invention is to provide coal tar, oil tar,asphalt or other bituxni nous satted felt'br otherv fabric, such aswoven fabric, with ruled guide lines or other indicia thereon. Anotherobject is to provide a process 16 for applying guide lines or otherindicia to felt or other fibrous rooiing base, which may be saturatedwith 'waterproofing substances, such as asphalts, coal tar. coaltpitchrother bituminous materials, in such manner that the 20 indicia are notobliterated by the saturating and,

coating material. Other objects and advantages will appear from thefollowing detailed description.

In accordance with this invention, felt or other 28 brous sheetmaterials are built up in the usual manner from rag, wood pulp, andother fibers into a continuous sheet. This sheet is dried in its passagethrough the usual press and dry rolls.

' While in substantially dry condition and before 30 leaving the papermaking machine, a suitable marking medium. as foi' example, anywellknown paint or-ink which will show through and not be completelyobliterated by the waterproofing substances to which the fibrous base isthereafter subjected, is applied to the sheet. In the manufacture ofAroofing elements involving the saturation of a brous sheet withbituminous ,I materials, such as asphalt or coal tar pitch, I

have found that the application of a suspension 40 of a metallic powderin a silicate, preferably a suspension of aluminum powder in asogliumsilicate solution, in'indicia which apparently l'gh thebituminous saturant. Thereafter, the marked sheet may be saturated withwaterprooiing substances, as for example asphalt, or coal tar, or pitch,and nnally rolled up for further treatment or sold as such as roll Inthe manufacture of coal `tar saturated felt for roofing, as heretoforepracticed, the felt base, as it came from the felt making machine, wassaturated with coal tar, and immediately upon leaving the saturatlngbath, after expressing the excess coal tar. and while still wet andtacky, 55 was rolled up into roll form. Largely due to the wet and tackynature of the coal tar saturated -`felt, it has been found impracticalto provide coal tar saturated i'elt with guide lines or other indicia inthe normal course of manufacture of l0 auch felt. Not only does thepresent invention comprehend the production of coal tar saturated feltwith indicia on a face thereof, but it provides a process which, withoutinvolving reorganzation of existing coal tar saturated feltmanufaciuring apparatus, permits the production of improved, marked,saturated felt in a simple and emcient manner.

The invention will be described more f hereinafter in connection withthe accompany- -ing drawing, which is somewhat diagrammatic Y incharacter and on which- Fig. 1 shows an arrangement of apparatus forpracticing the process of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a. side elevation, partly in section of one form of markingdevice for applying a 75 suspension of a pigment to dry felt.

In the accompanying drawing, there is shown a vat 2, containing fibrousstock, such as rag, paper, or other fibrous material, from which thefeit brother brous sheetis made. A foramigc nous cylinder or cylindermold 3 dips into the furnish in vat 2. Rotation of the foraminouscylinder 3, in known manner, causes the formal tion of `a. sheet ofdesired thickness on the cylinder. This sheet is transferred by cylinder3 g5 to wet felt or wet blanket 4 by the action of the couch roll 5which rides on the surface of the cylinder mold. 'I'he sheet is carriedon the wet felt over the suction roll 6 and through pressA rolls '1 and8 where excess water is removed by 90 vacuum and by pressing,respectively. From the press rolls 8 the sheet passes over idler rolls10 and l1, around guide roll 12 to drying rolls 13. Upon leaving thelast drying roll the sheet passes around a guide roll 14 and throughcalender 15 95 where it is smoothed. Doctor blades 16 prevent adherenceof the sheet to the lower calender roll. In the usual roll roongoperations, the sheet from the calender rolls is passed to a reel (notshown) where it is wound up into a roll ma of usual diameter. When onereel is filled, the sheet is broken at the reel side of calender roll 15and started on a second reel. vBoth reels may be driven by a slip-beltor other suitable means of maintaining constant linear speed with aconstantly increasing diameter, and the sheet is kept under tensionbetween the reels and the calender rolls. The structure of the sheetforming and drying apparatus may be of any well known type andconsequently further description thereof is considered unnecessary. l

In accordance with this invention, the sheet from the calender rolls 15passing to the aforementioned reels, or the sheet in the embodiment ofthe invention disclosed in Fig. l, leaving the calender rolls passesover apron 17 and marking discs 18 where designs, marks such as guidelines, orother indicia are applied thereto. In the embodiment lof theinvention disclosed, -ruling disc 18 provides a guide line on one faceof l2 JUAUNG R PLASTIC- a film of marking medium carried thereby to being device.

absorbed by the felt sheet. Rotation of the disc or other printing roll,in accordance with the invention disclosed in Fig. 2 of thedrawing, isaccomplished by the frictional contact between the sheet and the disc,linear movement of the sheet causing rotation of the disc so that theperipheral speed of the disc is the same`as the linear speed of thesheet. Disc 18 dips into reservoir tank 19, containing a marking medium,the reservoir being mounted on suitable support 21. If a suspension vofpigment in a solution is utilized as the painting medium, the pigment ismaintained in suspension by discharging it from reservoir 19 into acirculating tank 23 which communicates with pump 22. The pump forces thematerial from tank 23 into the reservoir 19. Circulating the suspensionthrough the reservoir 19 prevents settling of the pigment.

. In the embodiment of the invention involving the application of themarking media to the sheet before it is fed to the reel, the felt ismaintained under tension and in frictional contact with the marking orprinting disc 18 by the tension exerted thereon by means of the pull ofthe reels. In the embodiment of the invention shown on the drawing thefelt is maintained under tension by the action of the driven draw rolls42, disposed to the right (viewing Fig. 1) of the mark- After receivingthe marking medium from the marking roll 1'1, the felt sheet passesunder a guide roll 24, through driven draw rolls 42, over looping rolls43 to a saturating vat 25 'containing coal tar pitch, asphalt or otherwaterproong substance. The looping rolls 43 permit accumulation of thesheet,'so that machine lstops on the-saturating machine for thevpur-`pose of removing saturated felt product rolls of a convenient andcommercial size, will not interfere with the continuous uninterruptedoperation of the sheet formingwand printing ma- `cli'inelwjlnstead ofpasslgrthrough a saturating iat, the sheet may be passed under sprays ofsaturant or otherwise saturated.

As shown ln Fis. 1, depicting one type of saturating vat, the sheetpasses over roll 26, down through the waterproofing material, about roll27, up through the waterproofing medium, around roll 28, down throughthe waterproofing substance. about roll 29, up through the waterproongmedium, between press or squeeze rolls 30, which serve to draw the sheetthrough ,thet

saturating bath and to remove excess saturating material. It will benoted that the rolls 27 and 29 are suitably mounted in tank 25, near thebase thereof, and rolls 26 and 28 are disposed above the level of thesaturating material ln tank 25. In its passage through va't 25, thesheet is thoroughly saturated and coated with waterproofing substancessuch as bituminous ma Aterial. The saturated felt is then drawn throughthe squeeze or press rolls 30 to remove excess saturant and then woundon product rolls 31.

'I'he thus saturated sheet may be unwound, passed through the usualshearing knives, and then again wound into product rolls. If the sheetla wound into a roll after marking, and thereafterunwound and saturatedin any desired manner, it may, after marking and before saturation, beunwound and passed through the usual MUSS m55 'sewn 1,942,788

the sheet may be trimmed rst and thereafter marked. o The marking mediumused may be any of the various household ai v-such as lead, zinc, oriron compoundsfinl eed oil; v ink' or any er substances which produce a'mit which will show through the waterproofing medium subsequentlyapplied to the sheet and will not be obliterated thereby. White paintsand red iron base paints have been foun partic arly su a e mar ornothermetallic wders may be used as the/ pgmen'tin mar g or paintingcomposition. Aluminum powder is preferred because of its lustre andbrightness and because the bitumen does not readily adhere to it. Itforms readily visible indicia upon application to felt and subsequentsaturation thereof with bituminous material. Any aluminum bronzingpowders utilized in the f manufacture of aluminum paints-may be used asthe pigment of this composition. VThe metallic miler is incorporated inthe soluble`s`1licate. such as sodium silicate, forming a suspension ofaluminum powder E the silicate. The silicate functions as a dispersingagent, maintains the metallic powder in suspension, and acts as anadhesive to bond the metallic marking material with the felt, fibrous orother base to which the composition is applied Further, the silicate,upon application to the brous base, glazes or sizes the portion of thefelt to which it is applied, im- Qparting to this portion of the fibrousmaterial a distinctive appearance ascompared with the remaining portion.The composition may be prepared by agitating and intimately mixingaluminum powder, silicate of soda, and water in the proportions.hereinafter indicated, and thus forming a suspension of aluminum powderin a dilute solution of silicate of soda.

One composition found to give excellent re- 1 sults in the marking ofroofing felt o'r similar materials was made by mixing 1 pound of alumifn umpgwder, $5 gallon of .silicate of soda of 42.5 Baum, and 5a gallonof water, corresponding to 1 part by weight of aluminum to 2.27 parts byl weight of solid silicate of soda (NazSiOaY, and '1.71 parts by weightof water. The above ingredients were.Y thoroughly mixed and thereafterppiied to the felt by means of printing or. mar rotating in ata'kcontainixg`thsuspenson and 1 contacting with the felt.

Another composition found to give satisfactory results in the marking ofroofing felt before saturation contained 1 pound of aluminum page' Mder,1 gallon of silicate of soda '5f-42.5?"MB`m, l

and 1% gallons" f vis(a'gteij, corresponding to 1 part by weight ofaluminum to 4.54 parts by weight of solid silicate of soda, and 19.55parts y by weight f water. y; Suspensions of aluminum powder insilicatef 1 media. Preferably,

of soda containing not more than one part by weight of water, I vhavefound, are admirably by weight of water. I

Since the cost of aluminum powder. at the present market prices, isapproximately 46 times that of silicate of soda and the cost of water isnegligible, it will be appreciated that, from the 15 I commercial andeconomic points of view, a comfelt, continuously applying a suspensionof alu'- el. i

position having maximum amounts of water and silicate of soda andminimum amounts of aluminum powder is preferable. I have found that asatisfactory dilute suspension may be formed by mixing aluminum powder,silicate of soda, and water in the proportions indicated. It will benoted that in the examples given above, the amounts of silicate of sodaand water greatlypreponderate over the amount of aluminum powder insuspension.

Silicate of soda, on the heavier than water Baum scale, of a specificgravity greater or less than 42.5 Baume may be used. The 42.5 Baumsilicate of soda -represents a grade of silicate readily obtainable onthe market. If silicate of soda of higher specific gravity is used, theamount of water added may be proportionately increased, and conversely,if silicate of soda of lower specific gravity is employed, the amount ofwater introduced into the mixture is corre- Y spondingly reduced.

In practice it has been found that felt or other fibrous material may beeiiiciently and economically provided with guide lines by the process ofthis invention and thereafter saturated. Roofing material, such as coaltar saturatedvfelt, which, as above indicated, could not heretofore beprovided with guide lines or other indicia thereon, in accordance withthis invention has been formed with indicia of a distinct and permanentcharacter.

The invention has been described with relation to marked roofingmaterial having marks which would ordinarily be placed on the weather orexposed face of the material, but it will be obvious that either or bothfaces of the roofingmaterial may be marked in accordance with thisinvention. Instead of applying one guide line, as shown, by means ofdisc 18, a series of discsspaced in parallel relation may be used toapply a series of parallel guide lines. Y

The term indicia `used in the specification and claims is intended toinclude spacing marks, guide lines, trade-marks, decorative, and othermarks, applied to a sheet for decorative, identification, or utilitarianpurposes. A

Since changes in carrying out the process and. in the product of thisinvention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention,it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shallbe interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Inparticular, while there has been set forth above a description ofapparatus by which the invention may be practiced, it will be understoodthat other apparatus may be used.

I claim:

1. A process for the production of bitumen saturated base having indiciathereon, which comprises applying a suspension of metallic powder in adilute silicate solution to the base to form the indicia thereon, andthereafter saturating the base with bituminous material. 1

2. A process for the production of coal tar saturated felt havingindicia. on the face thereof, which comprises continuously forming asheet of felt, continuously applying a suspension of metallic powder ina dilute silicate solution onto a face of the felt sheet to form theindicia thereon, and thereafter continuously saturating the resultantfelt sheet with coal tar.

3. A process for the production of bitumen saturated felt having indiciaon the face thereof, which comprises continuously forming a sheet ofminum powder in a sodium silicate solution to the felt sheet to form theindicia thereon, and thereafter continuously saturating the felt sheethaving indicia thereon with bituminous material.

4. A process for the production of coal tarsaturated roofing materialhaving ruled guide lines on the face thereof, which comprisescontinuously forming a sheet of roofing felt, drying said sheet,applying a suspension of aluminum powder in a dilute sodium silicatesolution to said sheet to form a guide line thereon, and thereaftersaturating the resultant sheet with coal tar.

5. A process for the production of fibrous material saturated with awaterproofing substance and having indicia thereon, which comprisesapplying a metallic suspension in a silicate solution to the fibrousmaterial to form the indicia before waterproofing said brous material,and thereafter waterproong said fibrous material.

6. A process for the production of bitumen saturated felt having indiciaon a face thereof, which comprises applying( a suspension of aluminumpowder in a sodium silicate solution to a sheet of felt to form theindicia, and thereafter saturating the felt with bituminous material.

7. A coal tar saturated roofing element having a guide line composed ofaluminum powder and silicate on a face thereof, and a weatherproongsaturant on said face.

8. Bitumen saturated roofing having guide lines painted on its weatherface, the paint consisting of an aluminum powder and an adhesive medium.

9. Bitumen saturated roofing felt havingv indicia on a surface thereof,the indicia being formed by applying a suspension of aluminum powder insodium silicate'to felt before saturation thereof with bitumen.

10. A process for the production of roofing material having indicia onthe face thereof, which comprises applying a suspension of aluminunimpowder in a dilute sgdiumsilicate solution to the Yi'o'rlfmaterial; andthereafter stating the roofing material having said suspension thereonwith waterproofing material.

11. Bitumen saturated felt roong having a guide line on its'weather facebonding with the felt base and comprising an aluminum powder and anadhesive medium and covered with bitumen.

12. Bitumen saturated roonng having a guide line painted on its weatherface, the paint consisting of va. metallic powder suspended in silicatesolution.

13. Coal tar saturated roofing having a guide line painted on itsweather face, the paint consisting of a metallic powder suspended in asilicate solution.

14. Bitumen saturated felt having indicia on a surface thereof, theindicia being formed by the application of a suspension of a metallicpowder in a silicate solution to the felt before the saturation thereofwith bitumen.

15. A process for the production of coal tar saturated felt having aruled guide line thereon, which lcomprises depositing, withoutsubstantial indentation of the felt, a marking substance on the sheet offelt to form the guide line thereon and thereafter saturating the markedfelt sheet with coal tar, the marking substance applied to the feltbeing of such' color and character that the coal tar saturant does notreadily adhere thereto and a visible guide line on the resultant feltroofing results.

WILLIAM n. MENsHoN. 15

